Assig-nor to benjamin a



E. D. HILLMAN.

r HOPPER'E-CAR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. e, |917.

E. D. HILLMAN.

HOPPER CAR.

APPucATIoN'FlLEn r11/111.6, 1911.

1,308,421. ,Patented 1111511, 1919. f

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

f rrnn s'rnrns PATENT orrion.

EDWARD D. HILLMAN, OF LARCHMONT, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO BENJAMIN A.HEGEMAN, JR., OF NORTH PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY.

` norma-CAR.

Specicatoirof Letters Patent.

Patented July 1, 1919.

Application .ledvMar/hi, 1917. ISerialvllfo. 152,625.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, EDWARD D. HILLMA-N, acitizen of the United States, and a resi,- dent of Larclimonjt, inthecounty ofWestchester vand State of New York, have in.- vented certainnew and useful Improvements in Hopper-Cars, of which :the following is aspecification. l

The invention pertains more particularly to hopper cars for carryingcoal and ...other materials, and one of the purposes of theirlvention isto so dispose the hoppers land discharge doors as to `ver-y materiallyincrease the cubical capacity of the car and lower ,its point of conterof gravity. A `further purpose of the invention is, while accomplishingthe object hereinbefore mentioned, 1.to increase the discharge area of.the can, whereby the load 4may be kmore quickly dis.- rharged. A furtherobject ofthe invention is to construct the car with a plurality ,ofhoppers having discharge iioors inclined in the same direction and soconnect the doors of all the hoppers that said'doors may besimultaneously opened and closed rfrom an operating shaft extendingtransversely across the car, near the end thereofand exposed at bothends so that thedoors may be `operatedeitlier to opengor close,fromeither side of the car. I also equip the car with an auxiliaryoperating shaft capable of actuation from either side of the car andvhaving between the center sills ofthe cara projection, cam, arm or thelike below the crank and link connection of the door operatingmechanisms with `the aforesaid operating shaft, so thatby the partialrotationof said auxiliary shaft the door operating mech'- anisms may beinitiated'in motion and then left to complete their movementautomatically and independently ,of said ,auxiliary shaft under thepressure of the coal or lother substance against the discharge doors .orgates, thus guarding the operator .against any accidents which might'otherwise happen were the auxiliary shaft lt0 continue in motion duringthe opening of the ,doors or which would likely `happen if the operatorhad to apply hiswrench to the ,operating shaft and did not succeed inreleasing it therefrom be ore the doors `got .fairly started in moti n.I also provide eiiicient means for vlocking the operating shaft againstmotion when the doors are-in closed position, and this mechanism,located' at each side o-f the car, is substantially identical vwith likemechanism shown and described 1n my pending application for LettersPatent bearing Serial No. y*65,462 and filed December 7, 1915.

The invention will be fully .understood from the detailed descriptionhereinafter presented, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,in which:

Figure l is a central vertical longitudinal section througlifa portionof a hopper car embodying my invention, the section being taken between.the center sills of .the car, yand Fig. l illustrates the several.discharge doors for thehoppers in closed position,

Fig.y 2 is a correspondingview of the same showing the several doorsforthe hoppers in their open position to permit the discharge of theload;

Fig. 3 is a .vertical transverse section' through the lower portion ofthe car taken on the dotted line` 3 3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a top view, partly sectioned land partly broken away, of aportion of acar, equipped withI the features of my invention, the centersills being shown in top view, the hood `over thesame in isection and aportion o f the sides ofthe car being shown -in vsection;

Fig. 5 is an venlarged top view, partly broken` away, of the operatingshaft andv tion of the control mechanism lfor .the operating shaft, themechanism shown in `'l' being `that illustrated in mQITe complete`detail in my aforesaid application for Letters Patent. n v

In the drawings, 10 designates'portions of .the hoppers which extenddownwardly be'- low the center sillsll .and -are'formed with side sheets12 and inclined bottom .sheets 13 down which, when permitted todo so,the coal or the like automaticallyl discharges. The hoppers '10 aretransverse of the car and in the construction presented I illustratefour of said hoppers, at each side of the center sills, although notintending to limit my invention to the employment ofany specific numberof the hoppers. The bottoms 13 of the hoppers all incline in thesame'direction,

and at the discharge portionsof these hoppers'- are provided kdoorsorgates 14 which arehinged at their upper ends, as at 15, to the bottomportions of adjacent-hoppers and near the centersills, the door for onehopper beingsecured yat its upper endto lthe bottom portion ofthe nextinwardly adjacent hoplper. Thedoorsorgat-es 14a1l correspond vvithoneanother and the doors areconnected in transversepairs, as shownmoreclearly in Fig. 3,'byfb'ulb beams 16`vvhich arcsecurely riveted to saidgates or doors 14. The bulbbeams 16 I deem of particular advantage inthat, they afford a broad flange for application to the face of the doorand at the samek time the bulb'portion of the beam, While affordingrequisite strength, occupies the minimum space, it being one ofthepurposes ofmyinvention to economize space between theloive'r ends 'ofthe doors or gates 14 and the track on Which'the car may'stand orbemoving. l

'The doors or gates 1'4.are connected ytogether in series by pivotedlinks4 '17 so'that allofthe doorsor gates may be operated simultaneouslyon both their opening andclosing movements, as Will be understood onreference to Figs. 1 and-2.v The links 17 eX- tend lengthiviseof the car.below the space formed between the center sills 11, asmay beunderstoodby reference to Figs. Sand 4, and the link 17 connected With the firstouter or right Vhanddo'or or gate 14, looking at Figs. Y1 and 2, ispivotally connected with a link 18 vvhose outer end is pivotally hunglupcn the transverse portionof a U-shaped beiidor crank 19'formed atthecenterof the transverse operating shaft 20.` Thesliaft 20 ispreferably formed from a round rod and is squared at its ends,`a s at21, so that awreneh yor other suitable tool'may be applied to the shaft,vmore particularly in this case, for effecting Ithe closing ofthe doorsor gates 14. The links 17 have enlarged angular outer end portions22,andthese portions are bifur- 'cated'or forkedfso thateachinay receivethe forward end of the nekt adjacentlinlQ-tlie links beingf pivotally'connected" together 4.by means. of pins :23 extending transversely fthrough the forked'portion ofeach link 'and vthe adjoining end of thelink inserted `Within said portion.

The forked portions 22 lof `the links17'a`re also ivotally connectedwith the respect-ive doors means vof transverse pins 24 WhicheXtendthrough said portions and through'eye-bo'lts 25 '(Fig) which aresecuredtothe central portions of the upper flanges 'of the bulb beams 1,6, an"additional plate'26 being riveted against the web ofthe bulb'tbeams foraffording greater strength at the-points of connection ofthe eye-bolts25 with saidbeams. The eye-bolts 25 4areccntrallyfof thebeams v1 6 andbetween'the inner Y The forward side sheets of v the hoppers. `linkl'?terminating at the door or gate 14 at :the left, looking at Fig. l, isbifurcated and pivotally vconnected by a transverse pin 27 With aneye-bolt 28 secured to said doo-r and 4corresponding ini all respectswith the eyebolt 25 shovvii on an enlarged scale in Fig. G.

The outer link 18 enters at its inner end the fork 22 of the outer link17 this being the link at theright, lookingat Fig. 1, and is pivotallyconnected withl said link 1"!" by means of a transverse pin 29. Theouter end ofthe link 18l is apertured to slip upon the shaft 20 andreach the position in the bend or crank 19 thereof,-as illustrated inFig. 5.

The shaft 20 is a crank shaft, the crank being formed by the bend 19,and `when said shaft turned to move the doors 14 to theirVclosedposition, the crank 19 carries the link 18 outwardly to theposition shown in Figs. 1 and 4, in Which the outer pivoted end of thelink is below a center line drawn through said shaft from'either'side ofthe cai' for the purpose olf .closing the doors 14 or opening the sameif necessary. i

' T111 addition tolocking` the doors 1 4 in theirfclose'd position byproviding a mechanism passing beyond the aforesaid dead cente r,.Ialsoprovide at eachside of the car the Vadditional ymechanismillustrated more fully in Fig. 7 and made the subject of my v aforesaidapplication" for Letters Patent filedDecember 7 ,11915, and thismechanism Tmayjbecalled an auxiliary locking mechan isnior paWl andratchet mechanism, and comprises a vtoothed disk 30 on each end of theshaft 20, pivoted dogs or paivl arms 31 'adjacentftosaid disks and eachhaving a tooth 32 adaptedto engage a tooth on the disk 30, and crankarms 33 having loose connection, Iby a. pin and slot, with the pivotedarms31, .all this being shown in my aforesaid application. The crankarms 33 jare" secured on the 'ends of an auxiliary shaft 34 whichextendsbeyond the sides of thecar andjhafsA squared ends adapted 'toreceive a Wrench or other suitable tool. On the centralportionofthe-auxiliary shaft 34 is lsecured cam or Crank arm or the like ofthejcrank ofthe operating shaftA 20 andthe onteleiid ofthe'link 18 when thedoors '14- are in closed position and held closed eitherby the entere-ndof the link 18 35, and this member 35 is below the location vpassingbeyond thegcenter line,hereinbefore mentioned, or by 'the auxiliarylocking means.v 4fIt has frequently been'customary for an operatoryattempting to" openthe "doors of a hopper car :to apply 'his-y'vre-nchIl on fan 'operating shaft,*"such 4asthat numbered Q0 herein,-and uponfthefopening ofthe y,doors the sudden limpulse' tgiven to themyby the or similar tool to the end Iof the shaft 34- and turning saidshaft tocause fthe crank arm or cam 35 thereon to 'movelupwardly againstthe crank 19, or "outerpend of 4the link 18, or both, toas'u'Iicientextent to move the outer end ofsaid link lld'upwardly abovel vthe deadcenter line, hereinbefore mentioned, whereupon without" any furtherstrain on or rotation of the shaft34' orany danger 'to the operator, theloadpressing against the door'sj14y will instantly ldrive them to`their" openfoijf discharge position'. It will thusbe seen that lwiththeflusefof lthe z'tuxiliaiy shaft 34 andfcrank 'arm or cam 35 thereon,the doorsl 14 maybeinltiated- 1n movement and` willftl'ien openautomatically, without dangerA to' the' operator. 'It is to beobservedalsithat':the means l. provide for initiatingthe openingmovement of they doors 14 .is yonefoff ,great durability and eXtremesim,plicity.y l' .i f

ll mount the crank @arms en the ends of the shaft '34,sothanupongtheturning of said shaft to initiatethe opening movement of the doors 14,saidfarmsg may turn the pawl or dog arms 31 from engagement 'with thetootheddisks or'w'heel'sfSO, thus freeing the operating shaft 20 forrotation,.,an d1,that on the continued moyementoftheshaft 34, the cam orcrank arnilislycaused to act against the crank of the operating shaft 20comes by the rotation of the shaft 34 displaced from its lower position,and the dog arms 31 lbecome set outwardly fromthe disks 30. l/Vhen bymeans of the shaft 20 the doors 14 are moved to their closed position,

' the crank 19 or link 18 strikes the cam 35 and turns it downwardly toits normal position, thereby rotating the sha-ft 34 to a limited extent,allr this having the effect of permitting the link `18 and outer end ofcrank 19 to go by the center line, for locking the doors in closedposition, and also causing the dog arms 31 to rengage the disks 30 forfurther locking the doors 14 in closed position.

'r-fMy "'ii'vention@involves the y-eonstri-iction cfa ca'rw-ithv"downward-ly and inwardly inclinedfend,bottoni sheets 36 of usual type.anda series of l-hoppers 10 intermediate v the flower -en'ds-o-fsaidbottom sheets 36 andisubstantiall-y-l below the licor line of the car,the-"upper #ends of said hoppers :being about 'in'"fil-incll withthehorizontal plane of the `lower7-"edges ofthe car' -sills and extendingdownwardl-yas nearly as convenient to the 'Ulli-ne' of/roadfbed Theinclined bottoms of 'the hoppers 10 preferably incline in lthe same'-fdirec'ti'om `and as hereinbefore describedfthe doors 14 for theseIhoppers are 'connected "together in series by links and thence Withtheoperating shaft 20 so that said Ldoors may all have simultaneous openingandl closing movements. It will be observed, ywithout special comment,that the 'presenceof the v-hopper's `10 arranged as described yincreasesthe cubical capacity of 'the car, since theyare below the floor line yofthe' car7 and do not occupy space which hop- Vpers "have -heretoforeoccupied within the body ofthe' car. lltwill also be seen that the -]gresence foif the hoppers A10 brings the center of gravityfo'fthe'loadclos'er to the road bed, and that the pluralityof hopper-s 10,with ltheir'discharge,doorsf114, increase the dis-l charge'areay of thecar, thuspermitting the lcar to "more rapidly 'become discharged of itscontents. l f

fTlie shafts20,.84jare suitably 1mounted in 'brackets `which lmay 'be ofr varied constructioni'and therefore not necessary to be described, lonesuitable form being illustrated in'Figs. 1 and'2. y "The center sills'llWillfbe covered over'by 111000137; esuslali ."lVhat/I claim asmyinvention and desire .tofsecuref byv 'Letters-Patent, is n 1,1.Ahopper c'arhaving a plurality of hoppers :extending downwardly below.4the sills ,thereof with the floors of the 'hoppers below .Isaidsillsinclined in `the same direction', lhinged.v .downwardly vextending doors.,forjth'e ydischarge.tends of said hoppers, links y'connecting saiddoorsV in series for securing `simultaneofus-,mov.ement thereof, atransyersepperating shaft for said doors'having a crank portion, and apivoted link connecting the crank portion of said shaft with said seriesof doors and links, said crank portion being adapted to carry the outerend of said link on the closing of the doors below a center line throughthe shaft and the inner end of the link for thereby locking the doors inclosed position, combined with means independent of said shaft for.turning the same to cause said crank portion to carry the outer end ofsaid link above said centerline, thereby leaving the vsaid doors to openautomatically.

2. A hopper car having downwardly and inwardly inclined end plates andintermediate said plates a plurality of. hoppers'extending downwardlyfrom' about the;r horizontal plane of the car sills .with theiloorsthereof inclined. in, the, same ldirection,

hingedy downwardly extending doors yfor'lthe dischargeends of saidhoppers, linkSQm nectinggsaidA doors iny series for-securingsimultaneous movement thereof,v a transverse operating shaft forl saidldoors having. a crank portion, and a pivoted link connecting/the/crankportion Iof saidshaftwith said series of doors and links,`saidcrank portion beingadapted to carry the outer end of i outer end of saidlink above said center line,-

thereby leaving the said doors to open automatically.v y 3, A hopper carhaving downwardly and inwardly inclined end plates,and intermediate saidlplates .fandatandbelow the floor .line ofthe car a plurality oflhopl'iers with :the floors thereof inclined in the saine direction,hinged .downwardly extending; doors Vfor the dlschargeendsofsaidhoppers, Yan

operating shaft and means intermediate said shaft and ,i said doors for.simultaneously j operating the same, said shaft :being connected withthe means connecting thedoors by .a link adapted. when thedoors areapproaching their. `'closed position tc,A at its outery endpass'below a'center line extendin through theinner end of the link andl vsai f shaft,thereby locking the doors in'closed position, combined withmeans'independent of said operating shaft for initiating said shaft inmotion so'tha't when the outer end `of saidxlink is moved upwardlybeyond, saidl center l ine,the said doors may open" automatically.

Y 1A hopper carhavinglongitudinal center sills and downwardlyand-inwardly vinclin'ed end lplates 'and intermediate said .plateshinged downwardly extending doors i vGepics Vof this patent may [beiobtained ,in'g' transversely of the carfand being n posed at both endssothat .the shafts may Ybe operated from either side of the car.

for the .discharge of the load, an operating a shaft connected withgsaiddoors and having a crank portion at the ,space below said centersi1ls,-an auxiliary operatin shaft having' cranki means thereon belowv te crankportion of said operating shaft for ,initiating the same inmotion, means associated with said 'operating'shaft for-locking'the same.against motion whenthe doors .are in closed position, and means,associated with said auxiliary, `shaft for `releasing lthe operatingshaft preparatory toj saidfshaft' being thus initiated in motion. 'p v5. A; hoppercar having downwardly and inwardly inclined end plates, andintermediate said plates hinged downwardly extending doors for thedischarge lofthe load, an opera-ting shaft having a crank portionconnected with said Adoors for operating the same', an auxiliary shafthaving means thereon below the crank portion of said operating shaftforinitiating the same in motion, pawl and ratchet mechanism associatedwith saidoperatingshaft for ,locking the same against motion when thedoors are inclosed position, and means associated .with said auxiliaryshaft for releasing thek j'operating shaft preparatory to said shaft.be-Y

ing thus initiated'in motion.

.I f6. rA hopper car having'downwardly and i inwardly inclined`endwplates, center sills, f

hoppers ateach sidev of said center'sills,'an l'operating crankshaft'connected with said v f doors" for oplerating'the.sa1ne,f,and anauxilaving atcrank portion thereon 'for initiatingthejoperating shaft inmotion,

said `operating and auxiliary, shafts extendex'- Signed atNewYorkcityyin the county of New Yorkp'and State of'New York, this{voi-'five centi each, by-addressing the Gom'mis'sionerfof Tatents,

.lwnnington, nc."

